'2.0' review: Rajinikanth-Akshay Kumar's film is illogical but a fun ride

Filmmaker Shankar goes all guns blazing and delivers one of the most technically sound films that India has ever seen. His latest, '2.0' starring two giants of Indian cinema, Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar is everything that you had thought it would be - going by its trailer- and a lot more.

One expects Rajinikanth's films to be larger than life, sometimes even a tad ridiculous, but '2.0' attempts to not just be an out and out commercial film, but also give a commentary on today's times where we all are so depended on our smartphones.

The film picks up from where 'Enthiran' or 'Robot' ended. Genius scientist Vaseegaran(Rajini) has put the evil Chitti in the museum after he created mayhem on the streets of Chennai a few years back. He now has a humanoid assistant called Nila (Amy Jackson) who is more attuned to human emotions and helps Vaseegaran with his day to day work.

Vaseegaran though is compelled to bring back Chitti or rather reboot him when a peculiar crisis grips the city of Chennai. Cellphones from the entire city start disappearing from the city. As authorities scratch their head wondering who is stealing the entire city's mode of communication, a few prominent leaders and businessman get killed. The government is left with no choice but to bring back Chitti to help them solve the case.

'2.0' has its usual trappings. Some of the plot points do not really make sense and there are certain scenes which are utterly ridiculous and reserved simply for entertainment purpose. But at its core, the film is a social commentary on our over-dependence on technology and how we as a race are heading towards a colossal disaster.

Among the actors, Rajinikanth is, naturally, omnipresent. He plays not one or two but technically four characters. A good and an evil version of Vaseegaran, then 2.0 version of Chitti and also a 3.0 version. The actor owns every scene he is in but interestingly gives ample screen time to the other star of the film, Akshay Kumar. Kumar's character is shown at the end of first half, but he gets a backstory (in the second half) which explains audience the reason why he became the antagonist and how he transformed into a birdman or as he is called Pakshi Raj. Credit to Shankar, who is also the writer of the film, to give Kumar such a prominent role in a Rajini film.

The ultimate hero though is the VFX in the film. It transforms Chennai into Gotham/downtown Manhattan and makes the most ridiculous stunts look convincing. The usage of cell phones to create a humungous monster is very well done and helps one understand the magnanimity of the situation. The plot is basic, there are times where you find yourself laughing out loud at the illogical things, but ultimately VFX saves the day, creating an unbelievable yet awe-inspiring world.

The battle between the two massive robots, the entire fight sequence at the stadium is brilliantly executed at the editing table. Its also a great thing that songs are at minimal, which doesn't hamper the narrative.

'2.0' has released at the end of a year where Hollywood has had a deluge of superhero films in the past months. Most of these films have been widely accepted, revered by fans. If you have loved those films, there is no reason why you wouldn't love Shankar's film too. Of course, it is predictable, lacks logic in certain parts, but the VFX, Rajini and Akshay Kumar together make up for the flaws making the film thoroughly enjoyable.

Story highlights

One expects Rajinikanth's films to be larger than life, sometimes even a tad ridiculous, but '2.0' attempts to not just be an out and out commercial film, but also give a commentary on today's times where we all are so depended on our smartphones.